Gato
by GS
Summary: Sequel to Neko. AU, Kitty fic, 1x2, 3+4. With Relena on the loose, Heero is reluctent to leave Duo's side. But when a cat show in America turns up, he and Wufei are forced to go.
1. Default Chapter

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GS Note: **ducks flying flaming pillows **

I just want to thank Jack who hounded me with e-mail to get this done ^_^ Harassment works!

As there were demands (threats, pleas, abuse, etc.,) for more 1+2 and, of course, kittens, I comply with the peer pressure of the public.

Gato

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Chapter 1

Rolling over lazily, Wufei cracked an eye open and looked at the curious kitten. She yawned, bored, as the small, chocolate ball of fur batted playfully at her black nose. Wufei glared and gently tried to push the young cat away. The baby only pounced on Wufei excitedly. The Siamese started as she felt small, needle-like teeth close on the fur next to her throat. She jumped up quickly and moved away, the kitten still trying to latch on to her tail.

"Dammit!" she swore. "Duo, get your damn daughter away from me!"

Duo skillfully reached over and pulled the small ball of fur back into the cluster. "Sorry about that Fei, she's a wild one."

"I wonder why," the tan cat snorted and settled back down on the soft cushioning of the kitten box. "I'm going to be so glad when Heero gets back tonight, no more of this Duo-sitting thing."

"He just worried," Duo chuckled as she began to give her unruly daughter a bath. The kitten protested. "He still thinks Relena is out for my blood."

"I don't see why Trowa can't watch you," Wufei wearily kept an eye on the kitten, as she stretched out. "She is just next door."

"She has her own problems to deal with," Duo released the kitten to play with her siblings. "I only have four, Trowa's seven is a bit out of my league."

There was a sleepy snort as the next box over rustled as Trowa leapt effortlessly over the box wall. Duo's little soft haven was beginning to get crowded. Trowa watched the three sleeping kittens and the one feisty one with a tired look. Her huge striped body seemed thinner then usual. 

"Keep in your prayers that you never have too," Trowa sighed. 

"You sound a bit bitter," Wufei batted the kitten away again. "That's why I'm never going to have children."

"Unless She has something to say about it," Duo smirked. There was a cry from Trowa's box. Then another and another until the stripped Pixiebob sighed and sprung back over. Duo's wily daughter yawned. She turned and wobbly made her way to Wufei before curling up happily in the short hair of the Siamese.

Duo just chuckled as Wufei sputtered indignantly then growled and ignored the baby.

"Do you really think that Relena person is going to come back, or is it just Heero's paranoia?" Wufei tried to distract herself.

Duo paused before answering. "I don't know. The most I dealt with Relena was her tail running away or some lame comeback just before Dekim ordered them away. She might, I did get her good last time we fought. She's probably still sore but that doesn't mean she'll try anything as long as I'm in a house with dogs. She _hates_ dogs."

***

Heero was never more relieved then when the door of his cage was opened. He streaked out without so much as looking at the woman who had carried his cage and darted under the couch.

Noin handed Zechs the cage and Heero heard him pass her something.

"This was the best haul yet," Her voice was enthusiastic despite the lingering weariness. "I really didn't think we'd do as well as we did. Heero hasn't been to a show in almost a year. He's almost four now and I'm really happy about the way those scars healed." There was a change of tone as she walked across the dark room to the trophy case and opened the glass. "Did we ever find out _how_ that happened?"

"No," Zech's deep voice was slightly nasal. He sneezed. "But I'll be just as glad to get out of this wing. I'm sinuses are killing me. I haven't felt this bad since that week in Los Angeles when you couldn't find space for your cats and they had to stay in the hotel with us."

"That was pretty awful wasn't it?" Noin chuckled as she closed the case. Heero glared at her running shoes as she passed his couch again. "Then let's get out of here. Heero never eats after a show, he probably just wants to sleep."

Heero snorted at the remark but was glad when Noin firmly shut the door behind her. Not wasting anymore time, Heero left the safety of the couch and stalked over to the rusty vent on the floor. With ease, he pried it up and landed silently in the metal heating pipe. The dust stirred under his paws as he trotted along the tin tunnel to the next grate.

A simple push with his head and Heero jumped gratefully out of the dirty duct and took a moment to shake the filth off his sleek coat. It had been a tiring week, the show had been too far for Noin to simply shuttle Heero back and forth each morning from London. They had gone to a hotel in St. Helen's for the cat show in Liverpool. Heero had never minded travelling too much before Duo had come along. It was loud, confusing and frightening at points but it was variety to his old life.

Now, the show was dull and boring. He was anxious the whole time to be back home and tried his best to hurry everything along. He had half-hoped he wouldn't do very well but there was always the chance Noin might not think him as valuable anymore. If that happened and she decided to breed him less frequently, there was a chance that Duo might be bred to someone else. There was no way that would happen. But on the down side, showing did make him spend time other then here with Duo and his kittens.

He loped through the dark halls nonchalantly, Noin and Zechs were all ready gone from this wing and Hilde wasn't due back until tomorrow. He spotted the door to the female's wing. He coiled himself and sprung up to land on the door handle. The long gold handle gave easily under his weight and swung open. Taking the time to close it with his paws, he turned to the all ready open door to the kitten's room.

He was a familiar sight in that room lately so none of the mothers protested. With his goal still in mind, he leapt into the last box. His sudden appearance scared Duo and woke up a sleeping Wufei. The kitten curled against Wufei let out a pitiful meow as her pillow stood up. Wufei bristled and hissed sharply at Heero before jumping out of the box and dashing out of the door.

Heero landed onto the cushioned floor of the wooden crate and gently nuzzled the crying kitten. Duo glared at him.

"What a fine time to show up," she growled softly. "In the middle of the night for crying out loud—"

Heero ignored her muttering and curled up beside the kitten again until she settled back to sleep. Duo cursed a bit more as her heartbeat slowed again. Heero looked over and smirked at her glittering eyes.

"Sorry," he didn't sound very sincere as he tried to contain his smile. "We got back late."

"Did everything go well?" Duo was anxious. Her future depended on Heero's success too.

"Yea," he sighed softly. "I did better then She expected. Looks like we're safe. Did Relena show up?"

"No," Duo relaxed a bit. "And I don't expect she will now. It's been too long since Dekim. I bet she got into a another gang or was captured. Better yet, maybe she's dead in a gutter somewhere!"

Heero snorted softly but stretched out on the soft blankets. He yawned. "I'm going to sleep. Long drives are exhausting."

"Yea, I was rudely interrupted from a nice dream too, Mr. Hero," Duo teased before she too yawned. "Make sure you wake up in time to leave before Hilde comes in to check on us."

Heero grunted, his eyes all ready closing. Duo just snorted before she too started to drift off.

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Just painting the scene guys ^_^ More to come soon! This is actually the first chance I've had to write all week so no yelling.


	2. Chapter 2

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GS Note: I swear, spelling mistakes are on the head of Kaz, she's been playing with my fingers the whole time and hitting random keys. And yes, I have your mushy 1x2 scene in here ^_^ No lemons though, I am only fifteen. Bah, I shouldn't even be reading them let alone writing them… Oh, and the cat shows, the circuits and everything, I made them up. I did do some research but this is an alternate universe so don't be disappointed if the Coast-to-Coast Cat Show doesn't come to your town ^_^

I have some information to those who are interested. As you might know, Heero and Duo are Havana Brown cats. Wufei is a Siamese, Quatre and Doro are Persians, Treize is a Russian Blue and Mariemaia has a breed, I just can't remember it ^_^. You can find pics and details here: http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/havana.html

Trowa is a Pixiebob, a really cool kind of cat that has a shorter tail then most. More here: http://www.tipbs.com/

Gato

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Chapter 2

Heero, of course, woke up in time to escape the kitten's room without detection and left by the second grate on the wall. It was dustier then he remembered. It should have been, no one was supposed to have been using it. After sneezing several times, he decided it would be a good idea to start clearing the vents.

He took the long way back to his room. Checking all the grates and vents for any recent blockage or disruption, he tries his best to tread quietly over the metal tunnel. If he was too loud, Hilde, Noin or Zechs might hear him and his days of travelling would be over.

He turned down the vent leading to the feed room when he noticed something different. He paused and took a cautious sniff of the air. It was cleaner. The gritty dust under his paws wasn't there. It was like hitting a barrier. Just behind him, the trail was dusty, streaked with the path of his paws and tail. This part, however, was clean. It was almost as if some one had been using it for a while.

Heero's senses were on alert as he slowly crept down the cleared tunnel. The cleaned path ended at a grate just a short distance away. Heero leaned up against the corner of the vent and cautiously peeked passed.

"Maybe Wufei was here," he mused quietly but quickly dismissed it. Wufei would have had to use the path he had come through. That part had definitely not been traveled over. Heero frowned; he tried to pride himself on his attentiveness to detail of animals in his household. No one was living in the room beyond the vent, it was the feed room and he would not tolerate it.

The room was dark and when Heero pushed the grate it stayed firmly shut. He glared in the pitch black hoping to spot any sort of movement. The dark shadows stayed still. He scowled at the darkness, it was getting early and Hilde would be in to feed him and change the litter box soon. He should be there or she might go looking for him.

There was a tense pause; the air seemed heavy with anticipation as Heero debated silently with himself. Slowly, Heero let out his breath. There was nothing he could do right now.

He continued on his way. It was probably a rat or something. He grinned; he'd have to deal with that later. He couldn't have rats moving in on his territory.

***

There was a shift in the dark room. The cream cat let out a heavy sigh as the chocolate shadow by her only escape, left. She was safe.

Relena uncurled her body from top of the refrigerator where she had been sleeping all day. She would have to be careful now that someone traveled in her secret hiding spot. She needed that; yesterday had been a close call when that girl had uncovered her hiding spot wedged between the dry food. She had only barely managed to move in time. 

Now, it was time to eat. Relena stole to the open bag of food that was slowly leaking behind the massive stock. She figured no one would miss it. There were over a hundred bags in the tiny room and this one was at the back, hidden away. She chewed the food slowly now. She had found her way passed the dogs nearly three days ago and had discovered this room soon after. Now that she was comfortable, she could being to plot her revenge.

"Oh yes, Duo," her eyes took on a strange glint as she chuckled silently at her own brilliance. "Soon, I will come for you. And you won't know what hit you."

***

In a separate part of the huge mansion Noin had been left by her great-aunt Une, Zechs sighed and pulled his head out from under the pillow. The bedroom was comfortable and the bed luxurious. Plush covers and pillows molded to the sleeper's body creating a warm and snuggly bed. It was a perfect room. The bedside lamps were a nice touch too. Most days.

"Noin, would you shut that off? I was the one who had to drive five hours straight today, remember? You needed shut eye."

"In a minute," Noin replied absently from her side of the bed. She flipped the page of the catalogue. "Do you know what month it is?"

Zechs sighed and leaned back on his pillow. He might as well try to make the situation less painful. "April, why?"

"The Coast-to-Coast American Cat Show is starting up again," Noin looked at him over her reading glasses. "I entered Heero three years ago but had to cancel when my mother got sick. The deadline is tomorrow for late entries and the first show day is on Wednesday. Maybe we should try again."

"Oh no!" Zechs looked alarmed. "There is no way we are flying to the United States for one cat! How am I supposed to get off work?"

"Oh come on," Noin rolled her eyes and took off her thin-framed glasses. "It's only for two weeks, the station can give you that! I have a cousin who works in travel; she can get us tickets… Come on Zechsy, think of it! We can cruise your hometown in New York one day, see your brother, and then travel across the country so you can get in a few days of sun on the beach in Orange County… It'll be fun!"

Zechs looked at her pleading face wearily. He did dislike England for the sole reason that it was so overcast all the time. It would be nice to get some sun in for a change. God knows how long it had been…

"Does Heero even qualify? He hasn't shown in over six months besides yesterday."

"Yesterday actually gave him the final points he needed. It's a good thing I showed him like crazy before that accident of his. I all ready entered Wufei, Quatre and a few others in it too but I was planning on sending Hilde along with them. If we take Heero, I'm going to want to go. You know how temperamental he is. I'm hoping that all his titles will make up for that new cat's non-pedigree status."

"Why don't you just breed Heero to an outside cat then?" Zechs snagged the catalogue from Noin's hands and placed it safely on the floor opposite to her. "You wouldn't have to worry about that then."

"I might," she admitted and tried to reach over him to get the magazine but he pushed her back. She sighed and settled back in defeat. "If this show doesn't go over well I probably will splurge and get that pair or breeding females I was over at Liverpool last month. They were really pricey but had nice bloodlines."

"I still don't understand why you haven't named that new cat of yours," Zechs sighed and started to pull the covers up again as Noin reached over to shut off the light. The room fell dark. "You are going to be getting new cats soon. We can't just keep calling her that."

"The name will come to me. Just go to sleep, I'm tired."

"Hm," Zechs closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off all ready. "I think she looks like a Duo…"

***

Heero had almost no warning. Wednesday morning he was sneaking silently back to his own room from Duo's box when he heard voices down the hall. He almost panicked but ducked under a small table next to his door, the long cloth hiding him.

"Do you have the passports?"

"Check!"

"Carriers?"

"Check!"

"Quarantine waivers? Grooming kits? The papers?"

"Check, check and check! Don't worry Miss Noin! You have everything!"

Heero held his breath as the three pairs of feet stopped by the table. 

"Everything will be fine!"

"I know, I know, Hilde," Heero could hear the grin in Noin's voice. "Zechs, why don't you take carrier 3 and get Quatre? Hilde can go track down Mariemaia and I'll get the tranqs our of the exam room."

"Sure Lu," a pair of sturdy black running shoes went to leave. "Who's going to get the demon though?"

"Leave carrier 1 here, I'll grab Heero last. I think he's going to be a bit fussy since he only just got back a few days ago."

"So wait with a needle to stitch you back up?"

"Very funny Zechs," Noin's voice was a bit calmer. From what Heero could tell, there was another show. A long one at that if they were numbering the carriers and getting the tranquilizers. He shuddered. He hated tranquilizers; they always made his nauseous. "Just for that, after you get Quatre, you can get Wufei."

"The longest-haired one and the crabbiest," Zechs snorted and started to walk away. "I'm beginning to rethink this."

Heero could feel his heart pounding in his ribcage. He was leaving again so soon. He had to talk to do. He took a step before he realised that She and Hilde were still standing outside of this hiding space. He stopped reluctantly but tried to will them away quickly.

"If there is any trouble, call Miss Harvard at the office or me on my cell phone. I won't be able to talk to you but you can leave a message on my voice mail."

"I'll be fine," Hilde reassured her. "It's not like I've never been on my own before!"

They had a quietly chuckle as Heero shifted impatiently from paw to paw. "You'll have Walker, Zechs insisted on taking Otto but that mammoth of a dog is too big."

"Otto and I get along, stop worrying and go get those tranqs!"

Noin laughed sheepishly, then turned and left the same way as Zechs. Hilde waited for a moment before she too turned on her high running shoes and walked away. As soon as Heero deemed it safe, he darted out of his hiding spot and, ignoring the world around him, dashed off to the shortest distance between him and Duo. 

Hilde had left the female's wing open a crack but Heero barely noticed and he pushed his way past the white door and streaked into the second room. Without acknowledging the protests as his sprint work up kittens, Heero took a gigantic lunge and landed in the box almost on top of Duo. A kitten squeaked and cried as a paw stabbed its tail.

"What the-" Duo jumped out of her doze, her tail puffed and eyes darting. "What the hell are you doing!"

"I don't have much time," Heero panted. Relief flooded through him as he looked upon his mate. It was good to see her at least once before he left. "I have another show to go to, I don't know how long or where it is."

Duo froze as she struggled to process what he just said. "But… you just got back, how can you leave again?"

"I don't know!" Anxiety gripped Heero as he watched Duo's face of surprise go to hurt. "I don't want to go, I want…" he paused and lowered his voice. "I just want to stay with you. Please believe me?"

Duo nodded silently and looked down. She sighed. "I was just hoping you'd be around longer. It's been a long time since we had a night to ourselves. Dorothy was going to baby-sit tonight and we could have spent a night out on the town."

"I hate this as much as you do," Heero was pleading. He carefully stepped over the kittens and nuzzled her neck gently. She looked up at him. "I swear, when I get back we can spend all the time you want on the streets. I just don't have a choice this time."

Duo was very quiet for a while and studied his face. She was so serious. Heero shifted his weight nervously as he waited for a reply. After an eternity, she smiled softly. 

"All right. Go on and do me proud," she touched his nose with hers. "Don't you dare mess up, I can't stand the thought of sharing you with anyone else."

Heero gratefully purred and lifted up a paw to push her down. He groomed her face happily, feverishly whispering promises in her ear as she chuckled and half-heartedly pushed him away. He pulled back after a minute and sighed in regret.

"She is probably looking for me," he explained as she watched him. "I have to go."

Duo just sighed and nodded. "I'll be seeing you soon?"

"Hopefully. Just remember, I love you."

"I know."

**__**

GS Note: Well. It's here. Um, kinda been a while but you did get your stupid 1x2 scene. It totally SUCKS but I hope you all get a kick knowing the power you have over me ^_^ Only took me, what, 50 pages of Neko and another five or so with Gato? 

Have a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3

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GS Note: The whole rat issue was totally Jack's idea! I blame it all on him ^_^ (cure for Writer's Block that guy is) and it worked perfectly. I think he has a thing against Relena ^_^

Oh, and the pill thing…yea I got it off of Homeward Bound! :p

As (even though I have forgotten for a while) always, I want to thank the people who review my stories! Number one, Jack who harasses me all the time, without him, this part wouldn't be out! 

Chapter 1 reviewers: Shinigami (Always good to hear from you ^_^), Duo/Folken/TK (Parts tend to just come out in what ever size, I stop when it feels right. However, I try to aim for AT LEAST 1500 words. This one is over 3000 ^_^), tenshiamanda, Lady Date (lol, no one likes Relena do they?), Lev (I am only fifteen and highly lemony scenes make me blush ^=^** However, I do have an explaination for the lack of 1+2 scenes below. Plus that sappy scene in chapter 2. All for you guys ^_^ Also, if anyone IS interested in doing a thing with them –heaven be praised if so, I KNOW I'm not that popular!- then they can send it to me to put up), IM and WriterofDigimon.

Sadly no reviews for chapter 2 (besides the usual e-mails) but I willing to blame that on the holidays ^_^

I have an update list for those of you who really are interested in the story or other stories of mine. The address is: **_www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/gsupdates_**

**__**

All are welcome to join! 

Gato

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Chapter 3

_A rat, no wait tons of rats, all slime covered from sewers, tracking mud along the vent with their ugly, greasy coats streaking walls. Old fruit on their sticky whiskers and the most god-awful, disgusting…smell! _

Heero could feel the hairball pushing up in his throat. He shuddered. Only a few minutes later there lay his breakfast with a slightly crushed blue pill. He spat disgusted and shook his head. Noin always forced the tranquilizer down his throat and made him swallow. When she left to get his carrier, he got rid of it. She was never the wiser and Heero was never drowsy. As long as she didn't use the dart gun, he was safe.

He snorted and pulled his head out of the potted plant. He jumped on the back of the couch then down on the cushions. He lay back on the ugly off-orange fabric. She came back in holding the beige cat carrier. Heero allowed himself to be pushed in and turned around quickly so he could see.

"I hate this part," Heero muttered to himself. He crouched low to the ground and planted his paws as the carrier bounced with every single step She took. Stairs were worse. It seemed like an eternity that he spent in the bouncing, jiggling carrier before he was handed off to Zechs and put on top of another cage. He could hear Mariemaia screaming below him.

"I _swear _I'll behave! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseletmego!"

"Hm, looks like someone else doesn't want to leave," Zechs snorted as he set the two carriers on the curb. Hilde brought up two more as She followed with bags.

"Mariemaia hates travelling," She put the suitcases down. Heero couldn't see past the human's knees until She crouched down to the cage below him. He shrunk back as She cooed softly to the tiny cat.

"It's all right Marie, we're just going on a little trip, calm down, good kitty. We'll be home before you know it." The cat just whimpered. She straightened up. "We'll just have to wait for the tranquilizers to kick in. They'll knock her out for twenty-four hours. Plenty of time for them to settle in at the show. Anyway, I think Wufei likes her, Mariemaia will probably calm down if we put them next to each other."

Heero heard a slight thump as Wufei whacked her head against her carrier beside him. Heero snorted away laughter as he felt pity for the Siamese.

"Why don't I grab the Otto while Zechs loads the van?" Hilde's voice was getting farther away. "And someone needs to grab the cases with all the cats' things. I left them in the food room."

"I'll get that," Noin started to walk away and into the open house when she stopped and called over her shoulder. "Load Otto's carrier now, Zechs. You know how panicky he gets when he has to travel, it'll be easier if we don't have to lift his box with him in it, in."

"Yes, yes," Zechs sighed. "I'll take care of it." She and Hilde closed the door loudly behind them as Zechs began to grumble.

"Women," he hefted Heero's carrier first and put it on the floor in the back of the van. It had no back seats so he gave it a shoved to roll it to the back. Heero almost lost his lunch again as he glared at the blonde man. Paying no heed to the murderous look he was receiving, Zechs lifted the yowling Mariemaia's cage and pushed it in the back too. Heero retreated to the farthest part of his cage and laid down. 

Wufei and Quatre's carrier were lifted on too but this time Zechs climbed in after and settled them on top of Heero's and Mariemaia's. There was a thump as Quatre's cage hit his own and a scrabble of claws as the longhaired cat regained his footing. Wufei hissed as she was jolted and took a swipe at Zechs from the plastic door. He dodged the claws and secured the two cages with a long nylon strap. 

The van wobbled as he slid out and jumped back onto the pavement. A few minutes later, Heero's scant view of the outside world was obstructed by an embroidered floral pattern. He snorted as the smoggy air was blocked and his cage started to smell faintly of mothballs. He stuck his nose on the pitch-black cage to the side ventilation holes. Wide terrified eyes stared back at him.

"Heero!" the small voice was so tiny and pathetic. Heero sighed. "Where are we going? What's happening?"

"Mariemaia, I know this isn't the first show you have ever gone to," Heero growled. "Just _calm down_."

There was a soft whimper but the small, frightened voice fell silent. There was a tense silence as Heero shifted from one side to another trying to get comfortable. He could practically feel hurt radiating from Mariemaia's cage. He hated this, why did cats always trust _him_? He was never good at talking to them! Wufei and Quatre were still silent. They were, no doubt, a bit anger with Heero.

They should fix it if they feel that strongly, Heero growled slightly. Mariemaia likes them better any way.

"Just get some sleep," Quatre's soothing voice eventually broke the stale air. "We should find out where we're going in a moment, Marie."

"Okay," the reply was so soft and broken Heero felt a stab of guilt and sighed.

"Quatre is right, Mariemaia," Heero finally abandoned the solid plastic floor and poked his nose near the side air holes. "Just don't worry about it."

There wasn't a chance for a reply as the front of the car was opened. Heero heard a knock on the roof of the cage above him.

"All ready to go guys?" Her voice strong and cheerful was directed at them. "We're going to be off in a minute, Zechs has to load that dog of his. Get comfortable, it's going to be another three hours or so until we get on the plane. Lord know how much longer we need to get to the States!"

"Lu," Heero almost jumped as the grunt from behind the van sounded through the open driver door. "I could use some help here!"

"Cripes," there was a sigh as the direction of Her voice changed. "You don't even have the trunk open! Why are you taking that dog, he obviously doesn't want to go!"

"Tell you what," Zechs's voice sounded through the door as She climbed out and went to close it. "You leave Marie behind, Otto can stay."

"Men," was the last uttered thing She said before slamming the door shut. 

There was a lot of shouting, soothing, bumps and bruises from all parties before the German Shepherd was finally lifted and wrestled into the carrier on the other side of the luggage. Zechs slammed the truck door down again to his mournful howls.

"See, see!" Mariemaia was pacing panicked in her cage, babbling. Heero spotted her tail flick in front of his eyes, it was triple its regular size. "We _do_ have to worry! _Otto_ is scared and he's a **dog**. A _dog_! They aren't _supposed_ to be _scared_! I have a bad, bad, _bad_ feeling!"

Leaving the hysterical cat to Wufei and Quatre, Heero crawled to the farthest corner in his tiny carrier and covered his ears with his paws in a vain attempt to get some rest before the plane ride. It was an uneventful ride to the airport and after some confusion, the cats and dog were transferred to Customs where they were boarded on the under compartment of the plane. Mariemaia and Otto had long ago fell to the effects of the tranquilizers and Quatre slept under his own power.

There were no more animals on the plane with them and Heero fully expected a quiet ride. He settled down for his own nap when Wufei spoke up quietly from her own cage. It sounded so far away from his own.

"This is going to be strange." Wufei's voice was wishful and Heero sighed. He lifted his head and looked out of the bars into the pitch black underbelly of the plane. He barely picked up the sound of Wufei's claws scratching at the bars restlessly and caught her glinting eyes. The landing brake light was flashing from a small window near them and it briefly gave Heero a glimpse of her tan coloured coat.

"What's going to be strange about it?" Heero was tired but he decided he owed Wufei at least the respect to listen to her.

"I'm going back home of course," the sad tone knocked Heero completely off his guard.

***

The change in Relena's diet was beginning to tell on her health. While she strove to keep her raggy coat in the best condition on the streets, it had never been glossier. The ache in her face that had never completely gone away was slowly fading everyday. Lean muscles she had gained in street fights and hunting began to disappear as a thin layer of fat surrounded her belly. A renewed sense of strength gave her a feeling of power and she constantly smirked. 

No longer was she surviving simply for revenge. She found that she kinda liked the indoor life.

Still, Relena was not stupid enough to try and approach the human girl that came into the food room. The stinging faces and words of people when they saw her disfigurement was enough for Relena to know she wasn't welcome to live alongside humans.

It didn't hit her, however, about how much she had changed until the day Heero left. She had decided to start scouting out the rest of the house in search of the cat who had destroyed her chance for a life beyond the streets. 

For a while, she stuck to the safely of the ventilation system, sneaking through the dusty tubes for hours on end. She was gathering information about the house and its residents from her time spent in wait outside of the females wing and stalking the girl named Hilde. Not far into her searches, she stumbled upon an unlikely being.

She was turning down an unfamiliar vent in the hopes of finding a male cat she could leech information off of, when she caught a very welcome scent. Without a second thought, Relena upped her pace, her entire being changing from sneak to hunt.

She smelt the lingering traces of food and the filthy grit. She heard the small heart pound blood swiftly through the small body. It wasn't long before she could see the naked tail lumber slowly down another tin shaft. 

Her own senses were heightened, adrenaline pumping through her body as hot excitement raced through her. She could practically taste the fresh meat of the rat in her mouth now. Taking deliberate steps, she peered her one blue eye around the corner. 

There, all by himself, was a ragged grey rat. He looked old, his ear in tatters and his tail bent from being broken several times. He was fat and his tired coat shone in the dim light. He was stopped in the dead end of the vents with a scrap of pizza crust held tightly in his mouth. His whiskers twitched hungrily as he nibbled delicately at the edges of the bread. Relena couldn't contain the low growl of triumph.

The rat froze.

He turned slowly; his heart beat filling the tiny corridor as it sped up. He dropped his pizza crust in unadulterated horror as his beady eyes came in contact with the pretty blue one of his mortal enemy.

Before he could twitch, Relena was on him.

He struggled as she pinned him down with her two paws, her teeth resting against his beating neck as he squirmed and scrabbled along the ground to get away. Relena unsheathed her claws and hooked them into his fur with his pained squeal. 

He was a large rat and his struggles were starting to throw Relena off balance. She went to finish the kill, when something stopped her.

She had dove for his neck in the intent to strange him to death, suffocating him to death on his own blood. She had through about just breaking his neck but with her belly already full, she had felt the need for mayhem not food. But what had made her stop, what had frozen the killer instinct pounding through out her entire _soul,_ was the eyeless socket starting at her from a massive scar tissue.

In her shock, the rat wormed his way out of her clutches and dove wildly for the empty corridor. Relena didn't even chase him, as she stayed crouched over the stale crust, pondering in her shock. 

That rat had been like her. He had been maimed, destroyed and humiliated. 

Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.

Instead of easing the pain in her heart, Relena gained a new fire in her eye as she looked behind her shoulder with a deadly smile.

***

Dou's good mood lasted for all of five minutes after Heero left. They weren't an overly affectionate couple. Years of isolated had basically ruined any chance of Heero's social behaviour and, despite Solo's words, Duo still felt a loyalty to her old friend. These feelings were enough to, not destroy the chance for a relationship, but seriously hinder the sort of affection that most cats expected of such a romantic tale.

So, naturally, the words of comfort and caresses were a surprise. 

Still, the high it had left her with dissipated into disappointment then anger to that human female. Her frustrations weren't alone as her babies began to cry for attention. She soothed one with her tongue; he had been traumatized by having his father drop out of the sky on top of him so she took the extra time to smooth the frazzled nerves of the baby.

Soon, with their bellies full and sound asleep, Duo carefully extracted herself from them to silently jump out of the box and trot over to the unlocked door. Hooking her claws underneath, she easily opened the white door and slipped into the room. She headed immediately towards the water bowls, the cool water soothing her throat.

It wasn't long before the door to the main room opened and Dorothy pushed her way through. She stopped midway when she spotted Duo.

"Oh, hello," the white cat continued into the room. She moved slowly, her belly just beginning to show signed of kittens to come. With a certain amount of effort, she sat down beside Duo and closed her eyes for a brief second. "How are the kittens doing?"

"Just great," Duo smiled but studied the old cat intently. Her eyes seemed duller and her coat coarser then when Duo had first met her. The sharp blue eyes weren't alert and her once proud tail was settled nicely on the ground. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," the voice held a sigh in it as Dorothy smiled tiredly. "Though I think this may just be my last litter of kittens. I don't think I'll last another."

"About time," Duo struggled to bring a smile to her old friend. The greyish fur framing her eyes were scaring the young Havana Brown slightly. "I mean, what is this litter, your fifth in three years?"

"Sixth," Dorothy replied wearily. "I must be getting on almost eleven now."

Duo could only nod in sympathy. She would never have to worry about the problems Dorothy had. Once, the Persian had sat down with Duo and told her that for seven years, she had shown in top circuits. Dorothy had held Best Cat in Show Award in the British Persian Association for three years. She had been giving Best Cat in Show, Best White Persian in Show and Best Queen in show at the international annual Top Cat Show held in Spain. Her children were all ready out winning championships. In the past two years, the Best Kitten in Show had gone to Dorothy's babies in the annual Persian Lovers Show. She was registered in over twenty Persian clubs and associations and was once the Best Cat in the World. 

Dorothy's breeding rights were highly sought after so she was bred at every chance. Duo was hardly a pedigree cat. So far, she was only used as a breeding queen for Heero and Heero alone. Even now, She probably wouldn't want Duo to have another litter until the current one had grown up enough to show.

Now though, after looking at the tired old cat, Duo was certain Dorothy would have traded all those titles and fame for a few years to kick back with a nice family and live out the rest of her years in peace. As it was, the overbreeding of the cat was telling.

"Why don't you just stop?" Duo sighed and looked at Dorothy with reproach. "She can't _make_you mate."

"This will be my last one," Dorothy paused to take a long drink. "But I know what will happen once my usefulness is over." Duo was slightly taken back by the sorrow creeping into the queen's voice. "I'll be taken away and never come back."

This was a possibility Duo hadn't known about. Fear raced through her veins as she looked in horror. Duo could barely think. "Taken away? Taken where? Why?" _I never agreed yo that!_

Duo's frantic questions stopped as Dorothy interrupted her. "Last year, one of my best friends was a year older then me. She had one last litter and could barely walk after that. One day, She came in and took her away. I haven't seen her since. It's been happening for years. Cats who don't do well in shows or have troubles with litters or just get too old are taken away. No one knows what happens to them."

"But she can't—" Duo stopped. She could barely talk as she still struggled to process the information. "She wouldn't just— She would _kill_ them…would she?"

"I don't think so," Dorothy shook her head. "But I'd be sleeping a lot better if I knew what had happened to Silvia."

Dorothy quickly switched topics to a lighter matter and after a while, Duo and her parted. The horrific information was still being mulled over as Duo jumped back in with her kittens and nuzzled them. Was she better off to just leave before it reached that point? Maybe she should just go back and live with Solo. Maybe Heero would even come with her. 

Panic gripped her as she struggled to make escape plans. A tiny mew broke her frenzied thoughts. Duo looked down and saw a small brown kitten struggling to crawl away. He was lost as soon as he left the warmth of his siblings and was calling for her.

Duo hurriedly calmed it by grooming his head and started to gently nuzzle him with her nose back to the others. She couldn't leave now, not without saying goodbye to Heero or waiting for her kittens to grow up. 

No, things would have to wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**__**

GS Note: Well, the time honoured tradition of Talking to the Reviewers (Or acknowledging my undying love and affection for you ^_~)

Duo/Folken/TK (lol, all your questions answered and more in later chapters ^_^), nanashi (writing is getting to be a rare occurrence.) and tenshi angel. Oh, and Jack fo rhis undying devotion towards this fic ^_^

Gato

__

Chapter 4

There was a shout and loud bang. Heero was jolted out of his deep sleep and whirled around to face the door, back arched and tail puffed. He let out a low hiss.

"Start with those animal cages, Jerry!"

Heero have to take a moment to realize where he was. He was on a plane. He was in a cage. And he was in no danger. Well, maybe from being dropped but definitely not from these humans.

Even though he was prepared, the sudden lift of the cage and huge swing knocked him off his feet. He scrambled to stand up as the cage rattled its way down the ramp and into the hands of an equally incompetent airline hand. He lost his regained footage and was thumped loudly on to a baggage truck. He hissed and cursed in hatred of the two young men but peered out of his cage curiously.

The city was so smoggy it was hard to see the end of the runway. It smelt foul so he wrinkled his nose in disgust. There was a huge roar as a plane took off nearby and Heero tried to cover his delicate ears. The baggage staff didn't seem to notice from the heavy earmuffs on their heads. Heero snorted.

"So thoughtful, give it to the deaf, stupid ones." 

Another carrier was roughly places beside his, then another on the other side. There was a bang as the dog cage was dropped on, then a weight settle on Heero's cage as the last carrier was taken out.

He recognized the floral luggage from the van being placed around them and then even more he didn't know being put all around.

It seemed to take forever but the long open vehicle started up and with a jolt, they were off. Heero pressed his nose against the bars and looked through the thick air until he saw the grey building in front of him. 

He was a little nervous, there was always the fear that nobody would be there to pick him up. He suspected that Marie and Otto were probably still asleep. They entered the building, the closeness of the air outside giving way for the cold, vast space inside the airport. There was a lot of shouting and the whole place seemed to be filled with sound.

Heero shrunk back a bit to protect his ears and watched as, after a few minutes, they were lifted off the cage and onto a trolley. It rattled and bumped at every step so Heero crouched in the bottom of his cage as to not be thrown over again. As they pushed through a metal door, it was hard for Heero to decide on what to look at.

People of every size, age, shape, colour and style seemed to have brought their life along with them and were crowding in one place. A small girl cried as her mother irritably took away her bag of chips. A group of nuns prayed the rosary quietly in the corner. Two business men were shouting and shaking their fists at each other. A large family of seven children and two adults laughed as they struggled to drag their luggage behind them.

The person pushing the trolley stopped for a minute to talk to somebody when a small face was crouched in front of his cage.

"Look! It's a kitty!" the little girl squealed to her mother, her pigtails bobbing. Heero growled at her shrill voice. "Come here, kitty, kitty!"

Heero hissed and swiped at the little girl until she started to cry and her mother picked her up. Shaken, Heero narrowed his eyes and watched everyone within range. He just wanted to be out of here.

They started moving again. To Heero, it seemed like they traveled at least the full length of the airport before a familiar voice made him dash to the front of the cage anxiously.

"Yup, four cats and a dog," She was nodding to a staff member and handing over a piece of paper. "Here's my claim."

"This looks in order," the woman nodded. Heero pressed his nose to as far as he dared. He didn't trust the people here; he might as well trust the person who knew what she was doing. Noin crouched in front of the cages.

"Hey guys, looks like you made it all okay!" Her eyes flicked from cage to cage. "Okay, Zechs I'll go get the rental car, you take them and get the bags."

"I thought they were your cats!" he protested as She dug n her purse to give him a slip of paper. She paused and glared at him. For a moment, there seemed to be a heated tension pass between them before Zechs visibly wilted and took the paper. She flashed him a smile and left, finding no trouble in passing through the crowd.

Zechs just sighed.

***

"You mean to tell me that Wufei, over-protective-mother-of-us-all, chief queen, top (pardon the expression) dog around here, is _gone_?"

Dorothy snorted and shifted on the fleece pillows and blankets. Duo just stared at her; the chocolate kittens scattered between them forgotten. 

"Awe man!" Duo lashed out at the wood walls and scraped four neat scores. "And Heero isn't even here to fool around with!"

"It means that She and Zechs won't be around," Dorothy smirked. "Now's my time to relax! Hilde won't be able to handle us all."

"So what are we planning on doing?" Duo asked eagerly. "Not that I don't like the lifestyle, well some aspects of it, but I'm just _itching_ for action!"

"I was hoping to be able to sneak out of our wing and take a break in Heero's room," Dorothy admitted. She looked sheepish. "Those females are chatty and they've scratched the hell out of that couch. I could use a week of vacation."

"Easy for you to say," Duo snorted. "I just can't pack up a leave." _'Not yet anyway.'_

"What were you hoping to do?" with the prospect of the break she was hoping for dashed, Dorothy sighed and began to examine her claws.

"I don't know," Duo grinned. She looked fondly down on her kittens. "Though we do have a small army between me and Trowa. Think of the havoc we could train these little guys to do!"

***

Relena yawned and tucked her head under her body, barely wincing as the bare skin scraped along the tough food bag. She forced her body to relax. She closed her eye all but a slit. There was a small scurry of movement in the vent.

Cautiously, a pink nose poked through the grate, whiskers working rapidly as the rat struggle to decide if it was safe.

Eventually, he pushed the unhooked grate off the wall and slid half under the loose opening. He balanced there for a moment. He circled his head to a full sweep of the room with his remaining eye. The dim light protected Relena's body.

There was a light thump as the rat jumped the distance to the ground and hurried over to the cat bag that Relena had been feasting over. He started to cram as many tidbits as he could into his mouth and paws. 

Relena gave a casual yawn and turned over so she was right side up. The rat froze.

Faster then he could run away, Relena fleeted in the way of his escape route. She smirked at him. He dropped the food he held and tried to dive for cover. She reached out and, hissing, latched her claws onto his hind leg and drew him closer.

She could hear his panicked breath. She could feel his beating heart. She could _taste_ his fear like a stench. She forced her own self to calm down before she snapped his neck right there. 

"Listen," she growled sharply. The rat, now fully pinned with two outstretched claws from the queen, settled down. Relena smirked. In a half purr she said, "I was wondering if you'd be interested in a preposition."

"And if I said no?" the gasped and trembling reply actually shocked Relena. She had thought he would be too terrified to remember his own name besides speak defiantly to her. 

"Then I snap your neck right now and that's the end of you."

"Fine," the fear started to bleed away a little as Relena loosen her grip slightly. "I'm listening."

***

A long while later, Heero was actually regretting not taking those pills. Making their way to the show grounds proved to be more of a hassle then She had predicted. The first cab they hailed refused to take animals. The second wasn't big enough for five animal carriers, luggage and two people. It was over an hour before Zechs, sitting on a sleeping Otto's cage beside the busy road, pulled out his cell phone and called a cab company. It took another forty-five minute for the taxies to get to the airport and located them. Now, an hour away from the hotel, Heero found himself starting out the windshield from his elevated position in the passenger seat at an endless line of brake lights. 

The taxi advanced three inches and slowed to a stop again. The driver put the car in park and leaned back stretching. Heero could hear Zechs snoring in the back seat. She was in another cab behind them with Quatre and Wufei so Heero's only company was the slumbering Zechs, Marie and Otto, and the driver. 

The man was clearly Asian. It pained Heero in a way. He was born and raised in Japan by a private breeder. He could still remember how he and his sisters played with the Atishi family's little son. So Heero curled up in the back of his cage and tucked his nose under his tail. The smoke from old passengers irritated his nose. 

When he opened his eyes again, he was being jerked out of his comfortable position and swung out of the cab. He scrambled to his feet and looked frustrated out of this one window to the world. Smells and sounds hit him like a hammer. The yowling, hissing purring, the individual scents of food, dung and shampoo was familiar. 

He was at a Cat Show.

He was placed on a rolling cart and there was a slight shake as another cage was put on top of his cage.

"Zechs, take Otto to the hotel, I'll catch a cab after I get these guys settled in and checked out." Heero could hear Her but she must have been behind his cage. He pressed his nose to the cage and breathed in. He smiled. This was home to him, Much more exciting here then in that dank little room of his.

Marie was waking up and yelling all ready as She pushed the cart up to a desk and started to talk with the official. It took a while but they were moving again passed cages upon cages of cats being tested, cats sleeping, cats screaming- Heero flexed his claws. 

They stopped at a corner set of cages along the wall. It was quiet and out of the way of the hassle. 

The carrier was cramped and Heero began to pace along the door, anxious to be out. She opened top one first and lifted a placid Quatre out and into one of the wire cages. She latched it carefully as he began to sniff around and hung a clipboard on the side. 

Next was Wufei. The cat struggled to be put down but She wrested her into the cage and locked it much to Wufei's distress. Marie clung to Her and it took a few minutes to unhook the tiny cat's claws from the thick sweater.

When Heero's turn came, she paused and took a second to cover her venerable hand with her sleeve. Cautiously, she reached in to lift him up. Heero snorted at her precautions and allowed himself to be transferred easily.

It was a standard individual cage. Four wire walls, one along a beige wall. Litter bow, wood floor and bed in the corner. There was an automatic water feeder and an empty food dish. Wufei was all ready settling down on the plush bed She had put in her cage beside Heero. Mariemaia was on the other side of Wufei. She was still upset and pacing. Quatre, the cat farthest from the young cat, realised that he couldn't even speak to her over the din and sighed.

Heero took a drink, the long ride had left him thirsty and tired. It was nice to be back. The little county shows hadn't nearly compared to this. Of course, he wished Duo was here too, but he could stand being away for a long time as long as he had _this_.

**__**

GS Note: Well, another chapter done. I'm sorry it's kinda of short but I have:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

READ THIS IF NOTHING ELSE

I got accepted into an exchange program for next year. That means, not a lot of writing time. I;m sorry, but this is some thing I've DREAMED about! I actually have a nice chance to go to Japan! Well, don't jinx me but, A YEAR IN JAPAN! Not a school year, a full 365 days! Room, board and school paid for!

I'm so stoked! I'm hoping to finish Gato and Tales of Love before I go though, no worries! As it is I have a slim chance of not going, I might be leaving July-August or even January 2004. So don't count me out yet!


	5. Chp 5 Day 0

Gs Note: Heeeey! How is it going everyone? I know, it's been a while, sorry!  
  
I had to get a part out though, today is Dooley's (one of my cats) birthday! He's turning thirteen so we've all be doing special things for him! He was in the inspiration for Neko so you can all thank him!  
  
I have 10 more days until I found out where I'm going next year, wish me luck! I'll have a chapter out by then, just to babble about that so no worries! ^_^  
  
The chapter system is going to change. You see, The Annual Coast-To-Coast American Cat Show is two weeks long, fourteen (14) days. As such, it'll be one chapter per day that happens. So at least fourteen more chapters. So instead of chapter they are going to be days. Today is Day Zero as the show hasn't started yet ^_^  
  
Thanks to my peoples: Jack, Ellie, tenshiamanda and Xing ^_^ I hope this lives up to the reputation ^_~  
  
DAY Zero  
  
London, England  
  
The air was fresher down the left tunnel. Smells of grass, wet from rain, and seeds of flowers not yet sprouted assaulted Herman's nose. He took a deep breath, lingering by the turn and wishing he could do nothing but run out into that yard.  
  
He scowled as his claws clicked on the tin surface of the vents. He couldn't leave now. When he had mangled his face years ago and found this house, it had seemed like a dream come true. He knew there were several cats in it but there had never been one who went after rats like himself.  
  
Until that one they called Heero had come along. Still, the thought of having an enemy was fun and he enjoyed playing around that that cat. Now, with his joints aging and his one eye dimmed, he knew he was going to lose that game soon. The prospect of losing to a worth adversary was acceptable to him, he had lived three and half long years. That was much longer then he had expected when he had first been injured.  
  
He was comfortably looking towards his death when that other cat had come. Relena was what she called herself and he spat at her whenever she wasn't looking. He was too old to escape the house now and he didn't look forward to his death being by her hands.  
  
He paused at the vent, cautiously sniffed the air and started to busy himself with loosening the grate bolt on the other side. In his one moment of carelessness, that female had caught him in more then just a deal for his life. She had him baited now and followed him constantly. If he didn't do what she wished, his life would be reduced to a humiliating stage until it finally dwindled into nothing.  
  
He was even more disgusted when she explained her plan. She wanted to take out the mate of his enemy. He had heard the people talking about 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' He knew that Relena wasn't his friend. And he knew that Heero's mate wouldn't even allow him a moment to talk before wiping him out.  
  
Still, he could grant his old hunter with one last honour and let his death have meaning. He slipped a small look over his shoulder. As long as Relena didn't found out of course.  
  
***  
  
New York City, USA  
  
The excitement had faded slightly as the crowds began to diminish and then finally leave. After being checked out by the vet, watching Her have a tussle with a judge official about the colour of Heero's eyes and the validity of Mariemaia's stripes, being poked by one woman's little girl and nearly knocked over by a careless labourer, Heero was dead tired.  
  
He was laying on the plush cat bed She always brought along. He knew it would be a long day tomorrow. From the talks he had over heard from Her, this show wasn't going to be concentrated in this city. They were going to be travelling. Tomorrow was the first classes that he was entered it. It was definitely going to be tiring.  
  
He tucked his nose under his tail and started to drift off to sleep when he heard a voice whispering.  
  
Heero figured it was just one of the younger cats so he ignored them. After a few minutes, though, he found the never-ending whisper was finally annoying him. He looked up and glared out into the near black room. He couldn't see who was talking so he bet they were underneath his cage.  
  
"Hey!" before Heero could start yelling, Wufei beat him. "Some of us are trying to sleep! Shut the hell up!"  
  
The voices immediately fell silent and Heero curled back up. He finally fell asleep to Wufei's grumbling and Quatre's soft snores.  
  
London, England  
  
Herman couldn't help but jump at the loud bang outside of the house. the backfire of the car reached even the inner part of the house and he shuddered. Cars had never been a good invention in his mind. He pushed the grate open, the second bolt holding it in place removed. It was far from the female wing of the house but Relena had been paranoid of detection.  
  
Hilde had left long ago and the house was dark and silent. Herman waddled down the hall, his naked tail swaying behind him. He didn't know the halls of the house as well as he knew the ventilation system but he tried his best and soon found the door he needed. A quick glance told him that Relena was still behind him.  
  
This step was a little childish on Relena's behalf, but Herman was forced to see it through. He was supposed to go in, cause panic, than tell this Duo that she was looking for her. It was risky in his opinion but then again, he was the rat walking into a room full of healthy cats. Risky didn't cover it. Still, since Relena wasn't coming in with him he had a chance to fulfill his own plan.  
  
Hilde had been careful to close the door completely. Herman wasn't as agile as he had once been so he fell the first time when he tried to climb up he table cloth on the table right beside the door handle.  
  
Once he reached the top he took a couple steadying breaths. He could feel Relena's stare raise the fur on this back. He paused for a only a minute. With a mighty leap, he managed to snag the handle and use his weight to turn it. The door swung open much faster then he anticipated. He was knocked off as the door slammed into the wall inside the room.  
  
Painfully, he pulled himself to his feet. The room was practically empty. Limping, he hurried off to where he knew the kittens were. Duo was sure to be in there too. That door was open and he crept in as quietly as he could.  
  
While it was in Relena's plan to scare every living beast in the wing, it wasn't in Herman's.  
  
His eye only picked out vague tall boxes arching over his head. He strained his neck but couldn't even make out the tops. He gulped nervously, his plan was suddenly looking like a very bad idea. Still, he cautiously began to walk down the aisle in the room sniffing. He was hoping to catch a scent similar to Heero's.  
  
It was to his great relief (or fear) that he not only found a similar scent, he found the exact one. It seemed to be a day or so old but there was no mistaking Heero's own unique smell. Herman paused beside the box and sat up on his hind legs. It still looked like an unclimbable monster. He dug his claws into the wood and started to make his way up the perilous wall.  
  
Feeling very big and uncomfortable, Dorothy stood from her spot on the couch in the group room. Several of the younger cats around her were snoring uproarishly and she finally was fed up of the noise. As quietly as she could, Dorothy picked her way along the floor to get a drink.  
  
As she stepped into the middle room, she noticed the door was wide open. She frowned. Even Hilde wasn't that careless. And Dorothy herself had seen that it was tightly closed that night.  
  
Her senses on alert, Dorothy scanned the room. No shadows were moving by the cages, the corners were free of objects, there wasn't a sound stirring in the room yet-  
  
Dorothy froze as she caught the ugly smell. Her claws flexed and she snarled. There was a rat in the wing.  
  
It was fresh and when Dorothy started to hunt for it, it was in the kitten room.  
  
Now, Dorothy felt her heart skip a beat as she suddenly realised just how grave the situation was.  
  
Rats were food for cats. She hunted many of them in her day. But cats were also food for rats. Horror stories about how kittens had been dragged from their litter while their mother slept on came back to her. Rats didn't always eat the carcasses, they left them where a mother could find it. Dorothy couldn't contain a growl.  
  
She heard a scrambling noise in the kitten room. Forgetting herself, she turned and dashed into the room.  
  
Her eyes adjusted to the darker room before she spotted it. There, hanging off the wall of one of the boxes, was one vile, ugly vermin.  
  
Dorothy saw red as she charged, teeth and claws ready. For a brief second she had a terrifying realisation that the rat was hanging off of Duo's box.  
  
She saw the rat's eye turn towards her right before she pounced. Her heart was pounding in her ears, the cries of the other cats awoken by her warning fell on deaf ears as she wrapped bother paws around the rats' middle and dragged him off the wood.  
  
Herman only had half a second to prepare for the attack but he was ready. When the Persian sunk her claws in, Herman ignored the pain and latched onto her paw with his razor teeth. Cutting right through the thick fur and down to bone, her heard her yowl.  
  
Duo woke at Dorothy's hiss. She jumped up immediately, leaving her kittens in bewilderment and looked over the side of the box. All she saw was a white blur as Dorothy whipped by the box's edge then screamed in pain and shook a grey thing from her paw. As the object fell from her paw dazing, Duo hissed herself.  
  
A rat.  
  
Duo launched herself off the top of the wall and leaded on the unfortunate Herman. The chocolate cat hooked the old rat with one paw and sent him flying across the wall into an ungraceful heap.  
  
The threat out of the way, Duo turned back to where Dorothy huddled on the ground, her paw bleeding.  
  
"Dorothy," Duo approached her cautiously. "Are you all right?"  
  
There was a pause, the Dorothy shook her head. "No, I- I think I'm hurt bad Duo. Look."  
  
The paw was obviously broken, blood bubbled out of the bite, both from the soft pad under her paw and the top. It was swelling quickly and was exposed to the open air. The smell of blood filled the whole room. All of the other mother cats had woken up to see the fight and where shooing the other cats who had come to see the noise out.  
  
Duo crept closer, making sure the sight was hidden from the view of the door. The rat was out cold on the floor so Duo ignored him.  
  
"It'll be all right, Dorothy," Duo saw shocked and scared to see the lost and vacant expression on the Persian's face.  
  
"No!" she burst out, snarling. "No, it won't be all right, Duo! Do you know what will happen now? I have no use! They're going to kick me out! Just like Silvia!" she turned to Duo, anger, anguish and pain clouding over the once brilliant blue eyes.  
  
Duo didn't know what to do. No one was daring to come near her or Dorothy so she came right up to the Persian. She curled up right beside Dorothy and began to groom her ears. 


	6. Chp 6 Day 1

**__**

GS Note: Sorry guys, I thought this was going to be done for tomorrow but I ended up being away for longer then I thought. 

Writer's block drove down the street, stopped for coffee, then set up camp. I think I finally scared it away though…

And seriously, this is the hardest fic in the world! I have no_ clue what Heero, Wufei and Quat are doing in the city and I can't remember what I was doing with Relena for the life of me! I'm babbling totally in this chapter in the hopes a plot is born._

This chapter is summed up in this quote, said by the best Animorph ever:

"The use of rhetoric through the lack of content."

Happy reading peeps! Hopefully the next chappy is out soon! 

Day 1

__

New York, United States of America

There was a loud sound of something slamming on the concrete floor. Heero's ears shot up and he sat up in one easy motion. It took a minute but he suddenly realised where he was. 

In New York, at a cat show. Surrounded by clumsy assistants. He sighed and went back down. The noise persisted as more people began to arrive. He rolled over onto his head to block the sounds out. 

He continued to doze like that for a while before his neck got too uncomfortable. He uncurled and slowly stood up. Leisurely, he took the time to stretch every bone in his back and then all four paws. He yawned lazily; She would be along soon. Today was judging day.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Her cheery face was opening his cage and putting his specially formulated food in the labeled food dish. Zechs was following her, his expression sullen as he glared at all the cats. Heero couldn't help but shoot him a nasty look and took an experimental swipe at the long man when he went to break the vitamin pill onto the food. Zechs jumped back and almost fell over the duffel bag She had brought along. 

Almost growling, Zechs dumped the powder on the food and slammed the door shut. Heero smirked before wandering over to smell the food. 

After breakfast, She cautiously reached into Heero's cage and gently pulled him out. He allowed himself to be handled as She put him on a nearby covered table. He let Her fuss over him without complaint as She brushed his short coat until it shone and clipped his claws. His teeth were brushed, and his eyes and ears cleaned before She deemed him ready. 

Instead of putting him back in the cage and moving onto the next cat, She tucked him under Her arm and started off down the aisle of cages.

He looked around but didn't struggle to get away. He knew the second he did he could kiss his career goodbye. Even if he hadn't liked showing he would have behaved. Everybody knew what happened to cats that didn't mind their manners. He almost shuddered at the thought of Silvia and how things had turned out for her. 

They didn't go very far before She stopped and judge and handed him a bunch of papers. She was directed off to another direction. 

The smells were very interesting. Cats of all shapes, sizes, breeds and ages were everywhere. He spotted a tiny Persian kitten housed next to a huge Manx tomcat. He almost chuckled at the terrified yowled of the baby but She moved quickly away. 

His legs dangling in the air, Heero knew he looked ridiculous as he entered the showing ring. He mentally cursed the woman holding him for making him look like such a fool but didn't fight as She placed him on a square of the long, sectioned off table.

There were two toms on either side off him in all different breeds. The one on his left scratched and scrambled at his handler's arms to struggle to get away. Heero snorted as he sat calming and looked at his other opponent. 

The pitch-black cat regarded him with cool yellow eyes. Heero glared back. The cat smirked but looked away. It didn't look like the judging was going to get underway any time soon. Heero wasn't even sure what kind of class this was. Obviously it looked like one for tomcats seeing as there wasn't a queen in the room, but none of the cats were remotely the same breed. He settled down on the cheap fuzzy table covering to wait. 

"So, I'm guessing this isn't your first show," Heero looked casually at the black cat next to him as the comment was said. Yellow-eyes smirked as Heero stared at him but didn't say anything. "Obviously, seeing as you need to be pointed to even be considered for entry. I don't know how _he_ got in here," the tom gestured to the panic-wrought grey tom beside Heero.

Heero was never comfortable around cats outside of the home so he rudely turned away in the hopes that the other cat would shut up.

"I noticed where your cage is," the other cat continued to the utter despair of the Havana Brown. "Nice location."

"Do you have a point?" Heero managed to growled still avoiding the other cat's eyes. "Or should I just make you be quiet right now?" 

"No, I have a point," the voice was cocky as ever. "I was just wondering about that pretty little Siamese next to you."

Heero's senses went on alert but he carefully tried to hide his alarm. He slit his eyes open and openly glared at the cat as if daring him to continue. At threat to Wufei was a threat to Heero's group and a threat to Heero's group demanded his full attention. The black cat chuckled as soon as he saw he had Heero's concentration.

"Why do you ask?" Heero couldn't keep the cool suspicion out of his voice. 

"Oh, no real reason," the cat smirked but Heero could make out a hint of desperation in his body language. "She just reminds me of someone. My old friend Wufei."

__

London, England. 

Herman's world slowly began to swirl back into place. Sounds started to come in bits and piece until they formed strings of words. After another minute he could understand them. His world was dark though. He was confused for a minute before he painfully slit his eye open.

A deep violet colour filled his vision and he quickly closed eye again. Heero's mate hissed again and his side was smacked slightly. He grunted in pain but opened his eyes for good this time. He glared at the queen and struggled to his feet but she quickly pinned him down.

"Tell me why the hell you're here and I might let you live," Duo hissed out keeping him in a painful grip.

"I will, I will!" he gasped and tried to stop struggling. "I never meant you harm, I swear!"

"Well I do," Duo growled but loosened her grip so he could breath. "Now, why were you here?"

Herman took a couple gulping breaths but didn't try and stall. Duo's patience seemed to end at the top of her claws. "I was sent here by Relena!"

Duo took a step back in surprise, letting go of her grip on Herman. The aged rat rolled to his feet as quickly as he could. At least now he might have a running chance if Duo decided on attacking him. "She told me to come here and create a distraction so she could come in and kill your kittens."

Immediately, Duo pressed his back into the carpet. He squeaked in pain as her claws opened new wounds on his back.

"You're lying," she hissed. "Relena could never make it in the house."

"She did!" Herman groaned in pain. He struggled to continue with his face pressed into the dark blue rug. "I swear, she's living in a room filled with cat foods! She is planning on killing you too! I don't lie!"

"Then why are you warning me?"

"You're Heero's mate," Herman almost chuckled but regretted it when fresh pace laced up his back. "And I need an asylum out of this house!"

"You really think I'm going to let you have asylum after what you did to Dorothy?" Anger throbbed in Duo's voice and she shoved again causing Herman to almost scream. 

"I never meant for that to happen!" Herman sobbed between breathing. "I just wanted to wake you!"

Duo growled and Herman thought for sure that she was going to kill him. Duo was just about to snap the rat's neck when a calm voice stopped her.

"Duo, don't," Dorothy sighed heavily from where she was watching with the other cats in the room. Her foot was still bleeding and she held it close to her chest. Duo turned in shock at the words but Dorothy nodded. "He didn't mean to, just let him go."

"But Dorothy-"

"We have more important things to worry about," Dorothy stood up on her three good legs. The other cats around her melted back a bit and Duo couldn't help but scowl. She felt like a kitten being berated for fighting. "Now, let the poor rat up before you give him a heart attack. Hilde will be here soon and how do you think she's going to react when she sees me?"

"They can't get rid of you," a tiny voice quivered from the crowd behind her. "I mean, they just _can't_! It would be like getting rid of Wufei, it's just not possible!"

"They won't get rid of me now," Dorothy agreed. "But, after this litter of mine, I'm done for. I can't even show now. This is going to scar," she winced as she brought her thoughts back to her paw. "But that doesn't matter right now. We need to get rid of that rat before Hilde comes back."

"Throw him to the dog," Duo snarled.

Dorothy shook her head and frowned. "Duo, he risked his life to tell us this. The least we can do is help him out."

"What about Heero's room?" one of the bolder cat's piped up. "It's not like he's using it."

There were no other suggestions so Dorothy shrugged and nodded. "All right, two of you escort him there. The rest of you go back to sleep; we'll deal with Hilde in the morning. It's no use for all of us to be tired tomorrow."

When the room had trickled out of all the cats besides Dorothy and Duo, the Havana bore down on the Persian. 

"What do you think you're doing!" Duo hissed so the other mother cats didn't hear. "He's just going to get back in here and kill our kittens! Who do you think you are trying to make decisions around here? Wufei?"

Dorothy dropped back down on the blood stained floor with a weary sigh. Now, without the crowds, she started to clean the cut out the best she could. 

"If Wufei were here she could make the decisions," Dorothy said after a long pause. "But she's not, so I will. And I will continue to do so until someone else comes to their senses. So until then," this time the Persian looked up to glower dangerously at Duo. "Don't act rashly. We need clear heads to defeat Relena and you're too close to this right now."

"If Heero were here-"

"He's not!" Dorothy growled. Squeaked of protest from the babies quieted her tone. "He's not, and we have to come to terms with that. Now, are you going to help us, or do I have to place you under guard too?"

Duo's ears were flat on her head and her short fur bristled out as far as it could go. She waited and the seconds ticked by like hours. Finally, she slowly lowered herself to her stomach and looked up at Dorothy. 

"Fine," her voice was so quiet Dorothy had to strain to hear it. "I'll listen to you. But if he tried something, I'll kill him."

Dorothy gave an invisible sigh of relief. "That's all I ask. Now, you get some sleep too, tomorrow is going to be hard for all of us."

**__**

Ok, I'm going to end it here because it'll take me another month to add on. At least a new chapter is fresh. ^_^ PS: Join my update groups! It's a great ego booster to see member numbers go up, wink wink. 


	7. Chp 7 Day 2

**__**

GS Note: This is for Jack who unfortunately died waiting for it ^_~ I hope you can read it ~~~~~~~FrOm BeYoNd ThE gRaVe~~~~~~ 

Get a reading people! Any suggestions would be great! Anything you want to see at all! I am stuck for ideas right now and if I don't get help I might just ramble with this story until I leave ^_^ You don't want that, trust me!

Gato

__

Chapter 7

****

Day 1 continued

__

New York, United States of America

Before Heero could even think of responding to the black tom, the owner of the cat picked him up and followed a judge to a different section. She stroked Heero's head calmly. 

"No worries Heero," She muttered absently. "The cat may be nice but that owner is a ditz. I bet they're losing points right now."

Heero ignored Her as his mind raced. What could a fresh tom want with one of his cats? The black cat was relocated only a few spots down. It was too far to hear over the noise but Heero kept an eye on him. The judges were starting and coming down one end of the table. Heero had to turn away from the cat as the first judge reached his section.

****

On to Day 2

__

London, England

Hilde found Dorothy early in the morning. Her first cry of alarm was enough to wake up the rest of the cats. Duo snuck out of her room to see Hilde sweep the injured cat up and out of the room. The wing door was left open.

Several of the younger queens that had followed Hilde into the front room started eagerly towards it. Duo bounded quickly and cut them off.

"Hold on," Duo glared at the mass. "You can't leave yet. I don't want Hilde to get suspicious."

"Why not?" one of the leading females asked. "There are toms out there!"

"Yes," Duo agreed with prickles of panic making her fur stand on end as the front line of cats advanced a few steps. "But you see, if you go out and meet those toms, get pregnant or whatnot, then it'll be hell for everyone!"

The cat that had spoken shrugged and tried to dart passed Duo. The Havana Brown struck out quickly and pushed the cat over. 

That appeared to be a signal as the rest of the cats charged at the door. Duo wished briefly for some help as she was knocked over. She struggled back up, cursing the young idiots when she realised that they were suddenly stock-still.

Framed in the hall near the door was Walker.

Duo felt herself shrink back a little. She didn't even reach the shaggy dog's knee. He stood watching them.

"I hope you were planning on leaving," the Newfoundlander growled with a very toothy grin. "I'm feeling a bit hungry."

The lead cats scrambled backwards into their fellow cats in their haste back into the safety of the room. Duo watched in disbelief as they all hurried out of the room and back to where the couches were without making a sound. She turned where she stood in the doorway and looked up (and up) at the black dog.

"Thanks," she whispered under her breath before darting behind the door and slamming it shut with her paws. 

Walker found himself with nose to door. He snorted and continued down the hall. Without Otto patrolling the house someone had to make sure that the stupid cats didn't get themselves in trouble.

Meanwhile, Relena watched wide-eyed as the massive dog lumbered down the hall. It was no wonder that rat wasn't back yet! He had probably been eaten by such a monster. 

She growled as the light from the vent cast sinister shadows over her puffy face. There was still that white cat in the sick room. She might not be able to get at Duo but she remembered the old Persian's face in the alley. 

The cream cat turned with a little difficulty in the small shaft. Such rich food was starting to round her out.

__

New York, USA

It was just one class that Heero was subjected too. The three judges checked his eyes, ears and one pulled painfully at his mouth to see his gums. She had jumped to explain to the judge about Heero volitile nature when the woman shoved her manicured nail at Heero's jaw. He managed to not rip her face a new hole.

He did however curse at the woman once her back was turned.

She put him back in this cage with a fresh bowl of water. Heero grimaced at the acidic aftertaste of the nail polish in his mouth as he tried to wash it away. Apparently Zechs had taken Quatre to another class because the Persian was delicately returned to his cage a couple minutes after Heero was.

Zechs was sneezing uncontrollably. She was opening the plastic lid of the container with the cat food and couldn't stop laughing.

"And but is so fundy?" Zechs said around the dozen tissues over his nose. She just laughed harder and her hands shook when she tried to open the can.

Zechs finally left for some fresh air. She was still giggling slightly as she fed them. She made sure to pack up Her things before walking up to Heero's cage.

"See you tomorrow big guy," She wasn't dumb enough to stick Her hands in his cage. He didn't let it show but he was slightly disappointed. He had been hoping for a little bloodshed. "We're going to Cleveland, Ohio tomorrow. I hope you all have a good sleep," she straightened up and addressed all the cats. "Wufei and Marie have classes then. I want you to behave for the movers. Any word of hissing and such and I'm sending you all home!"

Heero snorted. She never meant that. She picked up her bag but left the other containers there. It was only lunchtime but it looked like the classes were wrapping up.

Marie seemed to have finally settled down. She turned to Heero with eye full of new fear. 

"What did she mean when she said we were going to Oheyo?"

"O_hi_o," Wufei snorted on the other side of Heero. "I heard it from some of the attendants when you were gone. Apparently this is a travelling show. Across America in seven days or something stupid like that. Ohio is our next stop."

Heero nodded and ambled over to his bed. He settled in comfortably before remembering about that black cat.

Most of the humans were gone by now and their group was in a pretty isolated corner. The sounds were dying down. 

"Hey," Heero looked over to the cage next to him where Wufei was still eating. "Do you know a black cat?"

Wufei looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "I live in a house surrounded by cats Yuy, what do you think?"

"Hn," Heero grunted. "But I meant a specific one. He was about my size, pitch black with yellow eyes."

"Most black cats look like that," annoyance was evident in Wufei's voice.

"He said he was an old friend of yours," Heero snapped. The tone Wufei was taking was starting to irritate him. "He had an American accent."

Wufei's cage went silent. Heero snorted in annoyance and settled to sleep it off. Then Wufei spoke, "Was his name, um, Jet?"

"I don't know," Heero grumbled and refused to open his eyes. There was silence again.

"Are you sure?"

Heero sighed and looked up at her again. He glared but she just looked steadfast back at him. 

"Yes, I'm sure, why?"

"I have to see for myself," Wufei didn't even acknowledge Heero anymore as she muttered to herself and went to the front of her cage. She stuck a paw out the bars near the lock and started to scratch at it.

"What are you doing?" Heero grumbled. He didn't want to get up now that his mood was shattered but Wufei kept on fiddling. 

"I have to see for myself," she repeated to him this time. Heero snorted again, the locks were cat-proof and there was no way she could get it open.

He settled back for his nap when he heard a distinct click and squeak as a cage door opened. His head snapped around as Wufei gathered herself to jump out of her now open door.

He jumped to his paws and trotted over to his own door.

"What the hell, how did you get out?" Heero gaped slightly and Wufei paused to smirk at him.

"The latch on your door has a handle that you pull. Stick you paw out and hook the end. Then just pull and push at the same time."

Heero stuck out his claws and pawed at the entrance. He realised what Wufei had explained and soon his door was open too.

"Hey!" Quatre hissed out to them. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find someone," Wufei replied before taking the long fall to the group. She landed with a small thump and stopped to wait for Heero.

"Take care of Marie," Heero ordered as he balanced on the edge of the cage and looked for a good spot to land. "We'll be back soon."

He jumped and the two cats raced off on the slick tiled floors ignoring Quatre's yells behind them.

"Do you know where his cage is?" Wufei couldn't help but smile a bit as she stretched her muscles for the first time since London.

"No," Heero loped along behind her. "But he has to be close, he said he knew where our cages were."

"If we do find him," Wufei spared a glance over her shoulder to look at him, "let me talk."

Heero scowled as they turned down the aisle of counter tops. Cats started to notice them and call out but Heero dismissed them. He dropped slightly behind Wufei so he could watch for humans behind them when Wufei stopped suddenly. Heero hadn't been watching and ran right into her. 

He sent them sprawling across the floor and into a table leg. Wufei recovered first and resorted to swiping Heero across the ear.

"Watch where you're going, bonehead," she snapped.

Heero growled but before he could say anything the reason Wufei stopped called out again.

"Is that really you Wufei?" the voice was small and definitely not the tom Heero had run into before.

"Yes," Wufei replied though she couldn't see the cage. "Do you know if Jet is here?"

"He's down this corridor and to the left. You can't miss his cage, his owner has it so decorated I don't know how he can sleep!"

"Thanks," Wufei yelled behind her again as she shot off. Heero scrambled after her, his paws sliding on the ground.

"When are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Heero panted as he did the most exercise he had done since the fight with Dekim. 

"Later," Wufei wasn't even breathing hard and her pace picked up a little. Heero didn't waste his breath cursing out loud as he fell behind a bit more. He was several strides behind her when she slowed down and stopped. Heero only over shot her slightly but this time remained on his paws.

"Is that it?" Wufei asked and Heero followed her gaze to the table. They couldn't see much from their angle besides a hideous barrage of colours.

"I don't know," Heero replied. "But that other cat did say we couldn't miss it."

Wufei settled back on her hind legs before giving a powerful thrust and landed easily beside the cage. Heero moved down a few strides and followed her up.

"Ha, little 'fei," the voice drawled from the depth of the cage. Heero didn't even have to see the cat to know it was the same tom. "It _was_ you!"

Wufei stalked right up to the cage and started to sniff around, as if to reassure herself that it was really the cat she had been looking for.

The black tom eagerly approached the small opening in the wire cage and thrust his nose out in greeting. Before he could react, Wufei smacked his inquisitive nose smartly.

"Jet, you jackass," Wufei sounded so angry Heero felt his fur stand on end. "I swear, if you _ever_ leave me alone again I'm going to-"

"Jeez, haven't lost that right hook have you?" the voice sounded muffled. The cat cage and bigger then average and took up the whole table unlike Heero's which had to fit all four cats. It was draped in a rosy pink cloth and erratically decorated with blinking Christmas lights. A huge sign was propped up by the cage with the cat's name in large writing. Heero wrinkled his nose.

After the Lady had died, She had tried to decorate his cage at shows. That was before Heero started to destroy it. At least everything She had tried hadn't been so outrageously tacky.

Wufei snorted softly in good humour but then returned her to nose to the wire and touched his.

"I _hate_ to rain on his reunion," Heero grumbled. "But how the hell do you know Wufei?"

"New boyfriend?" the dim shadow on the tom's face didn't hide the sparkling humour in his yellow eyes. "He seemed very protective of you earlier."

Wufei bristled slightly and Heero growled. "I don't bow to any tom, you know that."

"Yea, I know," the voice turned from mocking to soft. "What are you doing here though. The last I saw you those white suits were stuffing you into a cage."

"It's a cat show," Wufei snorted softly again. "Why else am I here?"

"So you were picked up? Where do you live now?"

"London."

"In Canada?"

"The _original_ London," Wufei sighed in annoyance. "Heero is there too, plus the other cats that are with us."

"They're treating you good?"

"Yea," Wufei chuckled. "Too good in fact. I don't think I could take down a kitten right now."

Heero growled at being ignored again. "Wufei, we have to go. People are going to be coming soon."

Wufei glanced over her shoulder and frowned at his irritation. She turned back to Jet. "I have to get back to my cage."

Suddenly the cat moved closer to the cage and his eyes showed a little bit of panic. "Come back as soon as you can. All right? There's a problem here."

"What?" Wufei's relaxed posture changed and her short hair started to rise. "What are you talking about?"

There was a bang as one of the humans dropped a box and started cursing not far from them. Heero's ears went flat on his head and his eyes started to dart around. "Wufei, _now_!"

"See me again," Jet's voice dropped. "And I'll tell you, I promise!"

"_Wufei!_" Heero voice was low and urgent. "We have to leave!"

Wufei's eyes darted between Heero and Jet before frowning and nodded. "All right. I'll see you soon,' she swore to the cat in the cage. Jet nodded.

"**_Wufei_**!" Heero could hear footsteps and voices approaching this aisle. The Siamese cat leapt off and table with a small thump and Heero followed her. 

It took them about ten very tense minutes to sneak around the aisles and under tables until they reached their own cages. Quatre sighed with relief as they jumped into their cages. Heero hooked the wire of the door in one paw and drew it closed. He let out the breath he had been holding as it clicked shut.

Wufei did the same and tried to will her racing heartbeat to slow.

Heero walked over to the two wire walls separating them. He spoke low enough for only Wufei to hear. "You are going too tell me what is going on."

Wufei glared back at him. He outweighed her in pounds and muscle so her heartbeat betrayed her and sped up. She didn't show her fear though and lifted her head definitely. "Later, Yuy," she spat. "I'm feeling a bit tired."

Heero threw himself at the cage wall with a growl but Wufei ignored him and curled up in her cat bed. The Havana paced along the wire without taking his eyes off of her. Marie shrunk back into her cage and even Quatre didn't say anything.

"Fine," he growled finally. "_Later._"

**__**

GS Note: See, that was fun ^_^ I'm going to push the deadline on this story and motor it so it's done by the 24th. Only 6 more chapters. The epilogue may some out AFTER the deadline but who cares, huh? It'll be mostly done…


	8. Chp 8 Day 3

**Gato**

_Chapter 8_

Day 3 Cleveland, Ohio, United States 

Heero was a little less then pleased with the new arrangements of their cages. Back in New York, their corner of cages had been fairly secluded and quiet. Now they were in the middle of an aisle near the entrance. Small children constantly poked their fingers through his bars and he had taken the occasional swipe before a warning sign had been put up.

It hadn't stopped the more persistent people though. He also attracted a lot of attention from the second place ribbon attached to his bars. He tried his best to retreat to the back of his cage but he couldn't even sleep well with all the noise. He needed a break from people.

Wufei was sulking in her cage too but for a different reason. She had been taken to a class earlier that morning but had lost points because the cat next to her had taken a mean swipe. Now her nose was scratched up and she was placed lower then she should have been.

"Stupid blind judges," he could hear her curse. "It's not my bloody fault that bitch was in heat."

"I thought this was a cat show," the other reason Heero hated their spots drawled from across the aisle and on another table. The sheet draped over Jet's cage had been pulled back slightly and the black cat lounged in his cavern. No one bother to try and see him so he settled back with his view of the world and his privacy. "No bitches."

"You know what I mean," Wufei growled. "And she was built like a dog."

Heero didn't both to join in the bantering but covered his face with his paws. The classes were winding down and attendants were placing ribbons and prizes by cages.

The trip across the states had actually been pleasant. They had left early on in the afternoon and arrived at the new show grounds with plenty of time to spare. They had been loaded into a van with several other cats that Heero found too whiny for his taste. Even the other Havana Brown had irritated him.

When Zechs had shown up later that evening to check on them he had sliced open the man's hand when he had reached in to change his water. Zechs had cursed and growled at him and in the end Heero never did get his water. Zechs asked a passing worker to do it but one look at Zech's gashed hand and the woman had left.

It was worth it though, Heero settled down contently. The travel hadn't been enough to upset him but he was feeling a bit tired. Tomorrow it was his and Quatre's turn to have classes again. He wasn't too sure in what state though so he was ready to sleep until then.

His nap was short lived as he heard a click and a thump. He glanced over to see Wufei's cage door swinging wide open. He glanced to the other table and growled as Wufei sat beside Jet's cage door and started talking quietly.

Heero quickly unlocked his own door. Everybody was gone for that night except for the night guards. A couple of his neighbouring cats began to murmur among themselves as Heero jumped up beside Wufei.

"Hey Heero," Jet greeted him a bit sarcastically. "We were wondering when you were going to interrupt us."

"What was it you were so anxious to tell me about yesterday?" Wufei changed the subject smoothly and the two tomcats settled down a bit.

"Well, remember that weird guy? I mean before we left," Jet said.

"There was more then one weird guy, Jet," Wufei growled slightly. "Could you be more specific?"

"That one who kept on going on about 'exterminating humans' and 'world domination' and stuff! The really weird one."

"Oh," Wufei wrinkled her nose slightly. Heero's tail began to lash as they continued talking and ignoring him.

"What are you two talking about?" Heero growled jealously. Wufei glared at him but Jet rose to his challenge.

"Feeling a bit lost, Hero-baby?" he asked snidely. Heero hissed and lashed out at his face. Jet chuckled as his claws struck bars.

"Can we get over the testosterone battle?" Wufei moved slightly between Heero and the cage. Heero's fur bristled but he stayed back. The tension didn't lessen though so Wufei decided that drastic actions were probably needed. "Heero, if Jet is worried about this guy I guess it's reason enough for me to explain to you just how Jet and I know each other."

That perked Heero's interest. Rarely had Wufei indulged in her past. From the moment She brought the year old Siamese home Wufei had been pushy and bossy but never social. Heero couldn't claim himself to be a very friendly cat but even she never tried to say a kind word to anyone, even Heero in her first six months.

It wasn't until she had finally settled her dominance over the queens and discovered Heero's undercover travels that she started to tolerate things that irritated her. But it was still far from speaking a word about where she had come from. All Heero knew was that She had picked her up on an overseas vacation. From the evidence Heero was willing to accept that that overseas had been to the United States.

Wufei nodded, satisfied, as the two toms promptly forgot to be angry with each other. She doubled checked to make sure no one was going to interrupt them before she started.

_Flashback_

_New York City, Queens_

_5 years earlier_

I couldn't keep the pitiful mew from spilling. The rain sank into my short fur and ran over my skin. I shivered violently as the wind picked up and blew the icy droplets over me and through me. My eyes were firmly caked closed and I quaked with the cold and terror as I blindly sat.

I had been there for days, huddled in the old box with my brothers and sisters. We waited for that long for our mother to return from her hunt. We waited faithfully for a long time. Soon my siblings began to fall asleep and not wake up. Their cold bodies were pressing around me but I didn't have the strength to push them away or to struggle free from their deaths.

I mewed softly again and shook in fear. I was dreading and praying to fall asleep with my brothers and sisters, to never wake up and to never feel this cold again. My shivers slowly started to subside. My legs sank under the pressure of the rain. I sighed softly as I curled against the cold, stiff bodies of my siblings and closed my eyes.

I opened them as something nudged my nose. Something wet flicked on me and I shuddered. My eyes were crusted so I woke blind. Something nudged me again, this time forcing my mouth to open. The same wet substance that had landed on me dripped onto my tongue.

It was warm! I started to guzzle helplessly and it was swiftly taken away. I mewed in distress. It came back and I drank until my belly felt like bursting. I sank back to sleep wondering why I was firmly incased in something soft and warm.

I remember waking occasionally for the next few days like that and then drifting off again just as quickly. There was one time where it wasn't food that roused me.

There was a consistent poking between my ears. I was content to ignore it for a while but it started to become persistent. My eyes were still firmly closed and I could only force them open a crack. The light stun and they began to water a lot. I shut my eyes again for some relief.

The poking continued so I forced my eye open a little more. The tears helped to soften the crust and I could finally blink painfully. A blurred shape was hovering over me. I blinked a few more times but the image didn't clear up much. The shape moved away and I closed my eyes again.

I growled slightly when I felt the animal come back and start prodding me again. I took a blind swipe around my head but all I earned was a chuckle from my attacker. I forced my eyes open until the sliver of painful light focused and the blob of colour took shape.

It was another cat. He looked only slightly older then me. His eyes twinkled in the dim light.

"Hey ya!" he greeted. "Are you gonna get up?"

My throat was raw from not talking so I just directed a rough grunt. He seemed to be amused by that so I half growled again and snuggled back into my blanket.

A few days later I woke up on my own. I felt weak and tired but more alert then I had been. I managed to open my eyes totally. I had to squint because they were still watering in the light but I was finally more confident and comfortable. I struggled out the tangled blanket. My legs wobbled and I fell before taking one step.

I lay there just panting for a minute. Then I growled at myself and forced my paws under me again. It was painful, the muscles in my legs and body protested but I managed to wobble in a shaky line away from my bed before collapsing again.

I panted there for a few minutes. It was just so tiring to have walked that short distance. The cold began to creep back and I shivered miserable for a few minutes. I tried to will my legs to start again, just long enough to get back to my bed.

A prickle on my neck made me stiffen. Teeth closed over the back of my neck and I was lifted into the air. I was too tired to struggle as I dangled above the ground. The cat holding me trotted eagerly off and I swung painful from side to side.

I mewed in protest but we had all ready reached where the cat wanted to go. I was gently placed in a group of soft kittens. I squeaked as a rough tongue ran out over my head and I fought to stay over the heads of the other kittens. They all felt bigger then me so I was hard pressed.

Suddenly all the movement around me slowed to a stop. I forced my eyes open again. The big black kitten from before batted away a calico so she wouldn't hit me. The mother of the litter purred as she continued to give me a bath.

I batted at her nose but she ignored me.

"She's just gonna clean ya anyway," the black kitten commented. "Mama's mean like that."

The mother cat snorted but remained silent so I did too. With the warm bath, the black kitten protecting me and the safety of the litter, I fell asleep again, this time the deepest one I had had in a while.

It was months later. I had recovered nicely and was up to finally exploring the house where I was with the other kittens. There were four other kittens besides me, a calico named Calisto, two tabby brothers named Jorge and Jasper and the black kitten that had taken a liking to me, Jet. I was by far the smallest and had trouble keeping up but most of the kittens didn't care.

It was small and cramped with a lot of other cats around. The mother of the litter, who I later found out was Bitsy, kept a close eye on us for the first while. She made sure we knew which of the cats to steer clear of and which ones we could approach. Since the house was so small it was a hard task to avoid some of the bad cats but we managed all the same. There were about fifty other grown up cats and at no time were we alone.

We were about six months old and Jasper was getting tired of staying inside. We could see the outside from the window but none of the other kittens believed that I had been born out there. I tried to explain why I didn't want to go outside again, about the water and rain but none of them believed me.

I met the human who took care of us around that time. He was very big and smelt like old books and sawdust. He was kind enough but he never fed us enough. Everyday we were given some dry food and new water but with all the other cats in such a small space it was difficult to get food. Bitsy was very good about saving us some of hers but we were always hungry.

It was one afternoon when the human wasn't home. Jorge, Jet, Calisto, Jasper, I and another female cat Cassie were settled in front of one of the bottom floor windows. It was streaked with dirt but we could just make out the sounds of children playing and birds. Jasper had his nose pressed against the glass wishfully.

"If I was out there I would catch one of those birds," he sighed. "A big fat, plump one with lots of feathers to play with and lots of meat to eat."

Cassie was a weathered old calico and let out a harsh laugh. "You think you can get one without getting pecked?"

Jasper snorted at the insult but didn't take his eyes off the robin perched on a tree. "I could."

Cassie chuckled again but there was no humour in her voice. "I don't doubt it. All of us would brave an angry beck for such a dinner."

"It's not so bad," I said quietly and turned to glance at Cassie. "At least we don't have to sit in the rain."

"You little ones have never been outside have you," Cassie smirked softly. She stood up and jumped on the sill next to us. Calisto squeaked and hid behind Jorge but the old queen ignored her. "I'd live with a little water to be out of this hell hole."

"I don't see anything wrong," Jet looked at the surroundings confused. "It's nice and warm."

"You're in for a harsh awakening when the winter comes," Cassie replied blandly. "This old house isn't heated. The water freezes and that food becomes as hard as ice. Wait until next month when the temperatures outside drop and the tempers in here flare."

It was a bit cynical but we didn't know how close to the truth she was. Just as she had said, a month later the temperatures dropped to below freezing. We tried to huddle together for warmth but it was so cold we never slept. Bitsy had another litter on the way, as did the other queens so us kittens were on our own.

There were quite a few other kittens around our age, about twenty in total. We banded together for food but it was never enough to feed half of us. My gums bled every night as I tried to chew the harsh food. As a result I couldn't eat and slowed farther and farther down until I could barely get up.

That first month was tough. About half of the kittens in our band were as bad off as me, some worse. Five died in the first two weeks and three more the next. Jet managed to smuggled some of his food away from the bins and warm it with his body until it was soft enough for me to eat.

We had very little water too. The only time we could get it was within the first hour or so after it had been put out. Three older cats died from thirst. The man didn't both to clean up the bodies so we were forced to avoid them.

The second month into the winter, the man disappeared. We had no notice. One day he left for work and never came back. Calisto held out hope that he would return but after a week even she was forced to realize he had abandoned us. With out that little bit of food and water, many cats went insane.

The littler cats, like Jet, me and my littermates, were prime targets. The dead bodies were no longer ignored and they were soon picked clean. Many cats often circled us smaller and weaker ones just waiting for another to die off.

A few month later the house started to warm up. Between the grown up cats and kittens there were thirty of us left. Bodies too thin or full of disease were rotting around the house. All the rats and mice were picked off long ago. Flooding in the basement had given us water and though all of us were extremely thin and weak, we were alive.

Bitsy had her kittens and we went to see them. She had only three and one died in the first two days. The other two were so small we didn't think they would make it. We never did get to find out.

We were sleeping on one of the couches when the door was unexpectedly opened. None of us were used to the light so we scattered. Three figures on billowing white clothes and masked came in. Jet and I were hiding under the couch and watched as they lured cat after cat into cages.

My heart was beating widely and Jet growled as one of the cages was placed on the ground near us. The white human was trying to coax Jasper out from the footstool. They opened a can of food.

The smell was so overwhelming I started towards it without even thinking. Jet pushed me to the ground and held me there as Jasper took step after step towards the food. He was quickly captured and we watched as he was taken away screaming in fury of being tricked.

We thought me were safe but they checked under the couch too. We tried to run but there were humans waiting for us at every edge. Jet was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and forced into a closed carrier. I was on my own. One of the workers extended a hand towards me. I hissed and lashed out. My claws sunk right into the leather glove and raked across the person's skin.

I smirked as they cursed. I was backed into a corner by the other two. One reached for my tail and I darted out of their way. I felt rather then saw the box aiming for me. Then, before I could get away, I hit the box's wall with my nose. I was forced into a cage myself.

Being outside was an odd experience. My eyes burned and I couldn't see. They were jostling my cage enough for me to fall down. But the light wasn't the strangest thing. It was the smell.

I never noticed it. The house was my home and I was used to it. But the fresh air flooded my nose and it was overwhelming. It was air without the smell of death, dung and dirt. It hurt my lungs but I didn't have much time to dwell on it before I was placed in the back of a white van. There were other cats in there, many of them cramped three or two to a cage. They were all from the house and all were confused.

I was too distracted by the new smells of the actual cats rather then the house and the smell of carpet cleaner and sunlight to try and escape. The van was soon loaded and we were moving.

It was a long story and a long time later that I was ready for adoption. We had been taken to a Humane Society. Some of the cats that had been in the house hadn't made it to the adoption cages. I couldn't say I was glad I had. It was endless days of bored in a thin wired box. People would come and see me. Many would pet me or take me out of the cage or even talk about taking me home. But in the end no one did.

Calisto and I eventually shared a cage while Jet, Jasper and Jorge were in the one next to us. The room was bright and noisy whenever it was day time. In the night it was very dark with whispers and whimpers from every cage. We liked the night times the best.

Calisto was the first to figure out how to open the cages and pretty soon we were mingling and some of those whimpers disappeared. Cats would disappear every so often. Sometimes they were adopted and some times they weren't. We were all afraid that we would be next.

I was thoroughly convinced I would never be taken and sometimes that was an appealing thought. Many of the families were impressed with the colour of my coat or my breed. They were the ones that wouldn't pet me or acknowledge me. They would talk with the workers then move on. Other people had young children that would pull my tail or ears before I tried to swipe them.

Jet hadn't been adopted either, which was surprising. He had a striking black coat and steely eyes that had many people stop and look at him. He was very outgoing and friendly so the people who stopped and looked at him feel in love. But he was never taken.

Jasper and Jorge were adopted, then Calisto. I saw Bitsy leaving one day but I never saw her kittens. Even Cassie left. The cages refilled and it was only me and Jet from the house. I didn't know how long it had been since that day that we had been taken but it must have been months.

We were so sure that we were going to be overlooked. We opened our cages at night and had all-night talks about nothing at all. We tried to make friends with other cats but many ignored us. The rest were never there long.

I remember the day that She showed up. I remember it so very vividly. I was sleeping, curled up as far away from my new cage mate as I could be. She was a skittish thing that chattered on endlessly and I was about ready to hurt her.

Our cage door opened and woke me up. My cage mate was clammering over me away from the hands that reached for us. Jet pushed against the door of his cage and I was scooped out and placed in Her arms. I squirmed in a futil hope of being dropped to the floor then running away.

"Feisty thing," She grunted as I managed to scrape my claws over her arm. She twisted me expertly so I couldn't catch her again. "Amazing coat colour, nice eyes… where did she come from again?"

"On, such a sad story," the girl how normally fed us on Saturdays nodded eagerly. "There was a serious abuse case a few months ago. The SPCA found a house with over thirty cats in it, just abandoned. It was a real mess, she is one of the last to be adopted though. The story gained a lot of publicity. Haven't you heard of it?"

"I'm from out of the country," She said tensely. I settled down a little. If She was annoyed with the overly perky, loud girl then perhaps She wasn't so bad. "She's so striking through, why hasn't she been adopted yet?"

"The breeders want papers and the families think she's too tempermental for their kids," the girl shrugged. "I thin she's a sweetie, aren't you- ack!"

The girl jumped back nervously as I narrowly missed her nose. The Woman smiled. "I think we'll get along just fine."


End file.
